


Capital Silver

by AKMars



Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-06-30
Updated: 2012-06-30
Packaged: 2017-11-08 21:11:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/447615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AKMars/pseuds/AKMars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ducky has a secret...one that could put not only himself and his reputation at risk but his entire NCIS family as well. Will Abby be able to help or will this destroy her friendship with the old doctor?  Rated NC-17 for violence and sexual situations in future chapters.  Don't like Ducky/Abby pairings, then don't read.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Walk In The Park

Title: Capital Silver  
Chapter I: A Walk In The Park  
Rating: NC-17 (for violence and sexual situations in future chapters)  
Pairing: Ducky/Abby (don't like then just don't read)  
Genre: Supernatural

NOTE: There are as many variations, permutations and opinions on the legend of the werewolf as there are on that of the vampire. I mention this as my interpretation of the genre will no doubt disagree with some readers as well as the fact that I'm bringing it into the NCIS universe at all.

I asked myself the other day: "what if?" and found myself replying "what about Ducky?". This led to a short examination of how I thought the good doctor would handle being a werewolf. Thus, 'Capital Silver' was begun. The back story of how and why our beloved ME was exposed to lycanthropy will be revealed in due time. For the moment, bear with me as I explore a new twist to our favorite Scotsman and for readers of 'Thorns', yes an update is coming...by the end of this week I hope (with a surprise or two thrown in). This story was originally published on FanFiction dot Net in December of 2010, so be kind if it seems less polished than my more recent efforts (lol).

**NCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS**

 

The vintage Morgan wound its way along the R.C. & Potomac Parkway towards the employee parking lot of the National Zoo. The man at the wheel reached across the dashboard to tune its aging radio to a local classical station. He sighed in relief as the strains of a Mozart concerto floated over him. He was on edge enough without having to listen to some ghastly contemporary composition.

**NCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS**

 

"Donald."

The curator of North American mammals for the National Zoo greeted his friend in the lot. He was careful to avoid eye contact and made no attempt to shake the other man's hand.

"Geoffrey, it's good to see you again." Dr. Mallard's voice was warm, although he also avoided the other's gaze. "How have you been?"

The younger man laughed. "As well as any of us can be, considering.", his tone was heavy with irony. Dr. Geoff Stafford shook his head, as if to clear his thoughts. "I'm fine Ducky...just...antsy, you know?"

The ME nodded, understanding and compassion making his blue eyes even more luminous than usual. Pulling off his glasses and stowing them in the pocket of his blazer, he sucked in a deep breath through his nostrils and picked up his friend's anxiety. 

"It won't be long now though...I suppose we should,"

Geoff ducked his head and loosened his tie. "Yeah...let's get this over with."

The two men walked across the parking lot and crossed Rock Creek under the north bridge to Beach Drive. Their trousers were soaked up to the knees, but neither one appeared to notice. They cut north through the strip of woodland, crossing first Beach Drive then Klingle Road in quick succession. As the afternoon sun slid below the horizon, the men increased their pace.

The darkness was closing in on them when at last they crossed Blagden Avenue and settled down just below Pulpit Rock to wait for the others. Ducky breathed deeply, but rather than being exhausted from the fast mile and a half hike he'd just taken, he felt exhilarated. He removed his bowtie and began unbuttoning his shirt, stripping it off and laying it aside. His undershirt and shoes followed, to be joined a moment later by his trousers, briefs and socks.

Standing naked in the gathering night, Ducky stole a glance sideways at his companion. Geoffrey was nude as well and his skin was quivering in anticipation. Dr. Mallard sidled over to the younger man and exhaled, making a quiet chuffing sound.

Stafford sighed, relaxing a bit. "Sorry Ducky...", he tilted his head to the side.

"It's alright Geoffrey...it's almost time."

His friend made a small sound which could only be called a whine and shivered once more.

Dr. Mallard raised his head, nostrils flaring as he looked towards the north. At almost the same instant, two other people slid out of the undergrowth, removing their own clothes as they came closer. A man and woman in their forties approached the ME and the zoologist, stopping directly opposite them.

Ducky and Geoff ducked their heads as the new arrivals stepped up to them, naked now well. Both man and woman laid a hand on each of the older mens' shoulders.

"Welcome Donald, Geoff." the younger man's voice was calm and assured, a hint of Eastern Europe flavored his words.

"Welcome..." the woman echoed him, her voice just as reassuring.

"Hello Janos, hello Beth." Ducky replied. 

He lifted his eyes to meet theirs only for a moment before looking down again.

"H-hello..." Dr. Stafford managed, not lifting his eyes at all.

Janos and Beth squeezed his shoulders once more before letting their hands drop. Geoffrey shook himself and whined again, tilting his head to the left, exposing his throat. The young man and woman chuffed at him as Ducky had done and the zoologist calmed.

"Trust us Geoff, trust yourself...we'll take care of you tonight." Janos' tone was light and comforting.

Geoffrey nodded. "I know..it's just so new..."

"We'll take care of you." Beth affirmed Janos' words.

Ducky watched the ritualistic exchange in silence, just as he had the past three months. He knew exactly what his friend was dealing with...he'd experienced it himself a scant two years ago, but without the benefit of others to help him adjust.

The four figures stood silent as the moon rose full and bright over the trees. As its silvery light bathed them, they bent double, bodies writhing as bones and muscles reformed...rippling beneath skins now covered with luxuriant fur. The moon cleared the trees and climbed into a cloudless sky and four wolves, a female and three males, now occupied the spaces where the humans had been.

The white male nosed the shoulder of the gray female and wagged his tail. The female touched her nose to his and swiped the side of his muzzle with her tongue. An older, silver male with blue eyes approached the gray and white, his own muzzle low and his ears back. The white and gray nosed his neck, snuffling into the older male's ruff and his tail moved back and forth.

The youngest male, a solid black with brown eyes, stepped up to the other three and lay down, exposing his throat to the more dominant wolves. The white, gray and silver licked his ears and muzzle and he whined in relief, his tail beating the ground.

The white male stepped away from the others and sniffed the air in all directions. Pointing his nose due north, he gave a quiet growl. The female moved to his side, her own nostrils working as she caught the same scent her mate had. The silver and black males followed their alphas as they headed into the brush. The Rock Creek pack was on the hunt at last.

**NCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS**

 

To say to Dr. Donald Mallard that he was a well-adjusted werewolf would have made him laugh in disbelief and question if there ever had been such a creature. He would admit however that he'd come to a truce with his two natures in the past year, an armistice that seemed to work for both man and wolf.

Now when he shifted, although his wolfish nature was in the driver's seat if you will, his human half was riding shotgun...awake and aware of what was happening and able to take over only if circumstances warranted human involvement. Otherwise he was just a passenger, enjoying the heightened senses of his wolf and the boundless energy contained within its body, but not in charge.

Ducky had struck this balance through hard-won trial and error. He'd made quite a hash of things when he was first infected and tried to impose human will on his wild creature. His wolf had shut him down altogether and for the first few months he'd awaken in the middle of a field, or forest or under a rock ledge...cold, aching, stark naked and with no idea how he'd gotten there or what he'd done the night before.

Even now as his wolf body followed his alphas, he laughed in his mind at the embarrassment he'd endured in the beginning. He could just imagine his friend Gibbs' response if he'd called Jethro to come and pick him up, saying: _'oh, would you mind popping by NCIS HQ and bringing my spare suit along from autopsy? I haven't a thing to wear, there's a good fellow.'_

Dr. Mallard shook his head, figuratively since his current head was too full of thoughts of the hunt and picking up the scent of prey to echo his human desires.

Ducky paused his musing for a moment and let the wolf's senses over-ride his own... _moist earth, tangy sharpness of fern, moss and a faint hint of citrus that came from the pines in the park...metallic tinge of a coyote somewhere close_ (the old doctor's wolf snarled instinctively at the thought of a possible competitor for prey) _...and...and...yes! White-tailed deer..._ though the ME would never admit it out loud, the scent of deer was intoxicating when filtered through his wolf's nose... _overtones of earth, the musky odor of the hock glands, the warm, living scent of their fur and bringing it all together, the acrid tang of urine._

The only thing better to his wolf than the smell of deer was the rich, iron-sweet taste of venison, still warm and oozing blood...chunks of it sliding down his throat to heat his cold and empty stomach...the drowsy contentment that came on the heels of a successful hunt and accompanying full belly, of curling up with his pack and sleeping away the remainder of the night.

Ducky had given up being horrified at these thoughts before he'd lived a full year with his wolf. Truth be told, he was proud of his abilities as a hunter and tracker and was able to accept the natural behavior of his wolf half as he never could the sport hunts his father had forced him to attend as a lad. Now that he was part of a pack, his skills were appreciated by others best equipped to judge them. Janos, the white male was a good leader and dominant enough that neither Geoff or Donald would challenge him...but part of being a werewolf alpha was putting the pack first and when it came to hunting, Janos would allow the older wolf to lead the chase.

Ducky surged to the front of the pack as the White-tail's scent trail grew stronger...he could feel that the animal was close and came to a halt at the edge of a line of trees. Janos and Danni took places on either side of him, with Geoff staying at the back of the group. Each of the wolves knew the roles they would fill and where their strengths lay.

The blue eyes of the silver male gleamed with excitement as he stared through the screen of brush at the eight point buck feeding in the clearing before them. The pack was downwind of him and his scent washed over them in a warm cloud. The older male shifted his head to the left and right a fraction of an inch and twisted one ear back towards the black male.

On silent feet the white male and the female crept around the edge of the clearing, to points directly opposite the unsuspecting buck. The black male stepped up next to Ducky, his brown eyes fixed on the more dominant wolf's face...waiting. The silver wolf flicked his ear again and Geoff moved silently to the opposite end of the clearing. The eldest of the pack watched with infinite patience as the deer continued to feed. After a few moments, the buck raised his head...ears pricked forward and his head turned away from Ducky. He shifted his body so that he was facing the wind. The old wolf could hear the White-tail's breathing as he sought to get a better whiff of the scent that had crossed his path.

With the buck's attention firmly held by Geoff's approach, the older male slipped out of the concealing brush and stalked towards his prey, his footfalls silent on the damp leaves. He was only a few yards away from the animal when it gave an explosive snort and struck the ground with a forehoof. Abandoning all attempts at stealth, the wolf bounded towards the buck and seized one of its hindlegs in his teeth.

The sharp pain caused the deer to spin in place, trying its best to reach the silver wolf with its formidable antlers. Ducky dug in with his claws and pulled against the buck's weight. Beth streaked out of the trees and with a huge leap, landed on the buck's back, clamping her jaws down on the base of its neck, her claws raking deep gashes in its flank. Geoff burst out of the underbrush and seized one of the buck's ears, pulling its head back to keep it off of Ducky.

As the lowest ranking wolf stretched the white-tail's neck out straight, Janos barreled in from the opposite side of the clearing and slammed into the buck's shoulder, bowling it off of its feet. The alpha male bit down on the buck's throat, feeling its windpipe crush beneath his jaws and ripped up and out, blood spattering his coat as the deer thrashed from its mortal wound.

All four of the wolves hung on while the buck bled out, its struggles growing weaker until it settled back against the ground without further movement. The older male and the black let go of it at once and stepped away from the carcass as the white male and the female moved towards the buck's belly. The alpha pair ripped into the abdominal cavity of the deer, gorging themselves on the liver and heart before tearing into the meat.

After they had eaten their fill, the white male looked at the older wolf, his amber eyes showing contentment and he and the female moved away from the kill to flop down at the edge of the clearing and began cleaning each other. The silver male approached the carcass, drool oozing from his jaws as his hunger over powered all other senses. He stuck his muzzle inside the deer and snapped up the kidneys and pancreas. Once these delicacies had been consumed he lifted his bloody face to look at Geoff and he grinned, his tongue lolling out to one side.

The black male moved up to join his packmate and they fed side by side. All four of the wolves stayed in the clearing for the night, getting up from time to time to strip more meat from the buck's body until the pack departed just before dawn. Shortly after the wolves left, Rock Creek's resident coyote pack slunk into the clearing and by the time the first joggers were entering the park, there wasn't much left of the deer but the bones and hide.

**NCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS**

 

Dr. Donald Mallard, ME woke to the sounds of a Barred Owl calling in the branches of the hemlock tree above him. He smiled, his eyes still closed at the comical, erratic vocalizations of the bird. The warm, soft pillow beneath his head shifted slightly and his eyes snapped open as he recalled the events of the night before. He was curled up around Beth's legs, his head resting on her stomach, arms encircling her waist. He felt her hand laying on one shoulder; a strong, masculine one on his other (Janos' he realized, for the alpha held Beth against his chest from behind, instinctively protecting her).

Geoffrey's own body was spooned behind Ducky's, the younger man's arms hugging the ME's waist, the way a child would hold a favorite bear for security. When Donald had first joined the Rock Creek pack, he'd been terribly embarrassed to wake up naked in a pile of equally naked people (one of them female no less!) in a public park. As he'd grown accustomed to pack dynamics and the need of his wolf for contact with his pack members, the older man had come to welcome the comforting touch of the others. They had become his family...more so than his blood relations or even his NCIS friends ever could be now.


	2. Nightmares and Daydreams

Title: Capital Silver  
Chapter II: Nightmares and Daydreams...  
Rating: NC-17 (sax and violins, er...you get the gist)  
Pairing: Ducky/Abby (don't like, then don't read)

**NCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS**

 

_Appalachian Mountains, Virginia/North Carolina border: location-undisclosed_

Dusk was falling fast over the cove. A figure lay motionless, covered on all sides by brush, on the steep mountain slope. It had been there since late afternoon, watching and waiting for the night to close in. The local wildlife had long since forgotten about its presence; a squirrel had buried its latest treasure just a few feet from the concealed person's nose.

Just as the sun slipped behind the crest of the Blue Ridge, a faint shuffling sound came from the bottom of the cove. The watcher's senses kicked into alert and the figure peered through the high-powered nightvision scope attached to the 30-.06 cradled in its arms. Through the eerie luminescent green of the crosshairs, a man slipped into view. He looked to be in his mid-thirties, with dark hair. He stopped at the edge of a clearing and began stripping out of his clothes. The silvery glow of the moon was just peeking over the surrounding mountains.

He looked up, as if waiting for the pale orb to make a full appearance before moving on. By infinitesimal increments the full moon rose, its light spilling over the hills and inching down into the valley, towards the naked man.

The watcher drew a silent breath and exhaled halfway, holding the remaining oxygen in its lungs. As the moonlight touched the man he doubled over, growling and his body contorted grotesquely. In a few seconds the shaggy form of a wolf stood in his place, shaking his head as if to clear it. The the wolf lifted its muzzle to scent the air and its head jerked to the side as a loud CRACK shattered the silence. The animal fell over and lay unmoving in the clearing.

The quiet crunch of leaves was the only sound as the watcher descended from its perch and moved to stand beside the fallen predator. It prodded the furry stomach with one foot, then reached down to grasp the neck, lifting its head. A small hole centered between the eyes mutely paid homage to the hunter's aim. The back of the wolf's skull was a pulpy mess, still oozing blood. The watcher let the dead animal's head flop back to the ground and it began to search the clearing. At last, the shooter found what it was looking for and pulling a knife, dug a flattened silver slug from the trunk of a tulip tree.

Pocketing the spent bullet, the figure turned back and to see the man's body lying where the wolf had been, the entry wound showing even more starkly against pale human skin. The watcher detached a canteen from its belt and emptied the foul-smelling contents over the corpse before turning away and heading out of the woods.

By the time anyone entered this remote part of the wilderness area, the coyotes and resident black bear would have long since disposed of any remains.

**NCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS**

 

Dr. Mallard stood in his shower, eyes closed against the spray as he let the hot water sluice away the dirt from his nocturnal adventures. He was always thankful when the night of the full moon came on a Friday as, unless a tricky case required his attention, he could spend Saturday alone, recovering from his change.

Ever since his first shift, Ducky had followed almost the same routine: a long shower, pot of very strong tea accompanied by a favorite book and, if he was not at work, the luxury of listening to the score of his favorite opera _Cosi Fan Tutte_. These familiar trappings of civilization had always allowed him to return from the sounds and smells of the hunt and the night spent as his wolf. It was...comforting. An odd choice of emotions for one of his 'stiff upper lip' generation, but appropriate all the same.

As it was Saturday, when the old doctor emerged from his shower at last, he towel dried his hair and body and slipped into the luxury of his Egyptian cotton robe, not bothering with more clothing. A side effect of his _infection_ was an increased resistance to the cold, even in his human form. Stepping into his disreputable, but much loved carpet slippers, Ducky padded downstairs to the kitchen for the next part of his ritual.

**NCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS**

 

The ME downed the last dregs of his tea and let his book slip from his fingers to the carpet. He settled himself more comfortably in his reading chair and stared into the fire. He did so love his new home...the Brownstone reflected him, Donald Mallard, not his formidable mother. He recalled his erstwhile attempt at romance with his real estate agent.

Contrary to what he'd told Agent Gibbs, he'd really stopped seeing her because she'd irritated his wolf with her atrocious perfume and incessant chatter. When he caught himself snarling silently at her in the middle of dinner one evening, he'd decided enough was enough. Truth be told, he'd agreed with his lupine half. Sophie _was_ irritating, in ways less connected with her youth than with her shallow nature.

Such differences his new state of being had wrought in his life. Being infected with lycanthrope had corrected all the ills and imperfections of his aging body that science could not. His heart was in perfect working order now, his arteries strong and clear. His vision a bit better than 20/20 and his stamina and strength had increased a hundredfold. The normal aging process had been almost completely arrested by his change as well. All these things had proved to be both blessings and banes.

Ducky disposed of his regular glasses long ago and had several pairs made up with stage lenses for appearances sake. This was cheaper and easier in the long run than trying to convince his friends that he'd gotten contacts. He'd also had to watch himself when the others were around. On his assistant's days off for example, he was quite able to move bodies around by himself. He had to be scrupulous about making sure that no-one at NCIS saw him doing it, however. The ME had stopped offering his hand to strangers when introduced, just in case they might have silver rings or bracelets on...it was far better to be considered a mild 'germaphobe' to all newcomers (his improved hearing had enabled him to eavesdrop on some of his co-workers for this information), rather than explain selective handshaking to those who knew him.

He'd become a consummate actor in the past two years, so much so that he'd begun to look forward to the full moon each month and his run with the Rock Creek Pack. It was the only time he felt free anymore. Felt that he could be himself. He longed to be able to tell someone...Agent Gibbs for instance. If anyone might understand and accept what he'd become, it would be Jethro.

He knew his friend would think him mad if started talking about being a werewolf. Ducky sighed. If he could shift at will...he could show Jethro proof, that is if the special agent didn't empty his Sig into the old ME. Dr. Mallard stretched his legs out towards the hearth, kicking off his slippers so that the heat could penetrate the soles of his feet. He closed his eyes and idly wondered what his wolf would think of the fire. He'd never been inside in his shifted form...would the wolf be afraid, disoriented by being confined in a house? He let his mind wander down that path, slipping into a light drowse.

He was pulled back to awareness by the sensation of his body contorting. His spine bowed, head dropping towards his chest and he was forced out of the chair and onto the floor, his robe falling off his shoulders. Without the familiar companions of moon and pack, it took Ducky a moment to realize what was happening.

_I'm changing!_

His eyes opened wide and he looked up at the room from a height of thirty inches.

_I can't be...the full moon was last night..._

In spite of his denial, a shaggy wolf now stood panting in front of the leather reading chair. Dr. Mallard had braced all four legs, claws digging into the oriental carpet and looked around cautiously...almost expecting someone to leap out and try to catch him.

_I'm in my home...there's no one else here._

This thought was the one that brought him to his senses at last and he realized that his human side was in control, not his wolf. He had shifted without the influence of the moon...shifted because on some level he'd wanted to, not because he _had_ to. Ducky relaxed, releasing his death grip on the carpet and wincing inside at the damage to the nap his claws had caused. Even as he laughed in his head at the absurdity of a wolf worrying about the expense of restoration fees, his jaws opened and his tongue lolled out in a grin.

This brought another thought to mind...he'd never seen his wolf before. The wolf never bothered looking into ponds or puddles, nothing to hunt there so why bother, and the thought to do so out of vanity would never occur to the animal. Curious, Ducky navigated the stairs to his bedroom and the full-length standing frame mirror contained there.

**NCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS**


	3. Explorations and Explanations

Title: Capital Silver  
Chapter IV: Explorations and Explanations  
Rating: NC-17 (violence and sex)  
Pairing: Ducky/Abby (don't like, move along)

**NCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS**

 

Dr. Mallard sidled into the room and padded over to the mirror. A very large, silvery gray wolf stared back at him with the doctor's own blue eyes. It was eerie to see their expressiveness situated in the long-muzzled, lupine face. Ducky inspected every inch of his body, turning to look over his shoulder at the slope of his spine down to his powerful hindlegs and brushy tail.

He opened his mouth, pulling his lips back in a snarl to bare gleaming white fangs. Inordinately, he felt pleased at his appearance. He was quite handsome, he thought...an animal to be reckoned with, in spite of his mature years. Dr. Mallard lost track of time as he stood admiring his reflection. The sun was well into its afternoon descent towards the horizon when an urgent need penetrated the doctor's reverie...blast!

The wolf padded into the small bathroom adjoining the master bedroom and stood looking at the toilet in disbelief. That won't work obviously...Ducky glanced at the clawfoot tub against the wall and sighed. With stiff legs he clambered into it, despairing at the scratches he must be inflicting on the slippery porcelain. He sighed again, this time with relief and concentrated on keeping his balance. Duty done, he jumped out of the tub and trotted back into his bedroom.

_I suppose I shall have to install a flap in the back door. This is going to play hell with my landscaping, though...thank God for the privacy fence!_

Ducky yawned and stretched without thinking, arching his back and extending his legs. He shook himself and chuffed in disgust at the loose fur floating in the air. The old ME realized that he was exhausted...his metabolic rate had shot through the roof after he'd become infected. He burned energy rapidly now and his body was telling him to refuel or rest. As cooking was out of the question at the moment, he leapt up onto his bed and settled down. He hoped that, like on full moon nights, he would wake up human again. He fell asleep pondering the alternatives...

**NCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS**

 

Abby dumped a load of dirty laundry into the coin operated washer. Normally she'd just get the machine started and go back upstairs for an hour but there was no way she was leaving this batch unattended. Sunday mornings had turned out to be the best time of the whole week to use her building's Laundromat. The pious were in church and the more practical were still asleep or otherwise occupied in their apartments. She could park herself in a corner with her iPod and the latest issue of the Journal of Forensic Technology and not be disturbed for several hours.

She hadn't planned anything else for today, although a small twinge of guilt at not calling Ducky to see what he was up to nagged at her conscience. The two of them almost always shared at least one meal on the weekends...today though, between the traveling she'd done the day before and playing catch-up on her housework, she was just too tired. Abby picked up her cell and began typing emails, one to her uncle Charlie and her brother Ricky, letting them know she was back in D.C. and well.

**NCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS**

 

Ducky phoned Janos first thing Sunday morning (after celebrating his return to humanity by cleaning the bathroom). He didn't elaborate on his situation, just that he had to tell them something and ask advice of the 'wolf experts'. An hour later his alphas were waiting for him at the picnic area at the intersection of Bingham Drive and the Western Ridge Trail.

The ME stepped out of his Morgan, clutching a small bag of doughnuts and smiled to see the tray containing three covered paper cups sitting between the man and woman who were waiting for him.

"Donald." 

Beth stood up and gave the older man a warm hug, gesturing him to take the table next to theirs so that they could all sit without straddling a bench. She passed him a coffee and murmured her thanks as he presented his cache of sweets.

"Tell us what the alpha and I can do for you." She turned to look at the man beside her as his quiet laughter bubbled up.

"Please, _Edesem_ ," Janos looked up at his mate. "We both know the only reason you aren't the alpha of our pack is because you don't want to be."

Beth smirked in reply as she came over and sat down on the bench next to her husband. She looked over at Dr. Mallard. Strangely, he found he could meet her eyes without feeling threatened. 

"I can look at you.." he blurted.

The alpha female laughed, more delighted with the old doctor's tone of surprise than anything else.

"Yes. Our human sides are in control now." Beth looked thoughtful. "I just realized, this is the first time we've really been together when we've not been influenced by our wolves. We need to get to know you, Dr. Mallard the man, as well as we do your wolf."

Janos nodded. "You called us Donald, to tell us something...from your tone of voice on the phone and seeing you now, I am assuming it is not bad news."

Ducky took a sip of his coffee, wrapping his fingers around the hot cup. He gathered his thoughts before speaking. 

"Not bad news, no...just...unexpected."

He paused, trying to find the best way to ask his question...hesitant now to say anything, lest what happened to him was some kind of anomaly.

Janos leaned forward and placed a hand on his. "Donald...you've been a member of our pack for almost a year now. We trust you...surely you know that you can trust us."

Ducky's mouth twisted into a wry grin. "Janos, once a month I wake up naked in the middle of the woods, in your equally naked wife's embrace. I think trust is moot at this point."

To his surprise the couple both shook their heads. Beth placed her hand on top of her husband's. 

"I disagree Donald...trust has everything to do with our bonds. You called us to tell us something about your wolf. He didn't fight you on it, in fact I'd bet that he's very happy you're here."

The Scotsman turned his awareness inward and 'listened' for his lupine half. Beth was right, his wolf was content. He was with the alphas and they would keep him safe.

"Donald, your wolf trusts us, if he didn't he never would have made his presence known to us in the park that first night...will you?" Janos asked, "Will you let yourself?"

Ducky exhaled and squeezed both their hands before settling back onto his own bench. "I have to.." he replied. "I'm just confused about what's happened." 

In exacting detail he told them about his 'morning after' routine and his unplanned shift into wolf form.

Janos chuckled. "I imagine you were surprised." He grinned at the old doctor.

"Did you find a mirror?" Beth asked, her eyes full of mischief.

Ducky looked up, blushing and realized that he'd given himself away. Beth laughed, poking her husband in the ribs.

"Janos did too. I happened to be home when he first changed inside and he spent a good hour admiring his handsome self. He was never that vain when we were courting!"

Her husband began to laugh too and held his hands up in surrender. "Yes, but my wolf is quite striking you must agree." He waggled his eyebrows at Beth. She swatted at him playfully and he caught her hand, kissing her fingers.

The ME watched the exchange in amazement. He knew that his alphas shared a close bond, but it was a revelation to see them act like any married couple very much in love. He began to smile, seeing the humor in his discovery even as Janos had.

"I'd already learned that I could change at any time. It is only during the full moon that our wolves have control, unless they feel threatened. I didn't want to add more stress to Janos' assimilation and thought it best to let him get used to his wolf first." Beth smiled. 

"I'd made up my mind to tell him when he changed one morning on his own. It was very amusing to see this huge, white wolf all tangled up in our bedsheets."

"I assure you it was no fun at all for me." Janos retorted with mock indignation.

"You got over it soon enough...I recall that you very much enjoyed having your belly scratched."

Ducky chuckled at the image of Janos on his back and Beth rubbing his stomach. His alpha shot him a dirty look but the ME just grinned at him. He realized then that he liked the pair very much. His wolf agreed...being very happy that his alphas' bond was so strong. Strong alphas meant a stable pack and safety for its members.

As they continued to talk, Beth related her own story about becoming lupine.

**NCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS**

 

"I had been bitten while on a walking tour through the Black Forest. The short version is that I had little choice but to stay in Germany while I learned to deal with what I had become." Beth's brown eyes were full of empathy as she looked at Dr. Mallard.

"I know what it is like to learn to live with your wolf on your own. I'd been alone for several years before I met Janos." The woman grimaced. "I'd made my way through to Hungary and the Bükk National Park, near Miskolc, Janos' home. I didn't find out until later that he worked for the Miskolc Zoo."

"To say that I was surprised to come across an American woman hiking alone in the _Bükk_ would be putting it mildly." Janos continued the story. 

"I kept seeing her around and I got to know her while I was on holiday in the park."

"But you weren't a werewolf then, were you?" Ducky interjected.

"No..." Janos' eyes turned cold. "I was bitten by the same rogue that attacked Beth...he'd tracked her from Germany, determined that she would become his mate." The Rock Creek alpha's lips turned up in a feral grin. 

"He underestimated both Beth's abilities and her growing attachment to me."

The doctor read between the lines. "So you and she got married in Hungary?"

"Not right away." Beth picked up the narrative again. "We lived together in Miskolc. It was the most logical decision while he learned to live with his wolf. We both realized that we were bonded by more than just our shared problem." 

She buried her nose in Janos' hair, inhaling his scent. Her husband closed his eyes and clasped her hand in both his own.

"I returned to America and Janos followed a few months later. He'd contacted some friends in Washington and applied for a position with the National Zoo."

"As an expert in wild canines of course..." the alpha interjected, his tone ironic.

"I moved to Washington to be with him and we were married a year later."

"I received my American citizenship six years ago...needless to say I did not put on my application that I was a werewolf...I think the INS would have treated that admission with the same delicacy they do AIDS."

Ducky winced, knowing exactly what Janos meant. The endless forms, health examinations and blood tests were maddening and he had immigrated from an allied nation of the US.

"I am a web designer, specializing in environmental education site-building. It does make shifting much more convenient when one works from home." Beth continued. 

"We decided that Rock Creek Park would be a good, central location for us to shift in and have been using it for almost seven years now."

"We wondered if there were other werewolves in the area and had come to the conclusion that we were the only ones in D.C. when we found you, Donald." Janos added.

"Thank you for sharing all of this with me. I must admit you've both put my mind at ease about what has happened."

"Donald, will you come to dinner with us?" Janos asked. "If you like, we can change and explore our farm together...it will give you a chance to be wolf without the influence of the moon."

"I would like that very much...thank you Janos, thank you Beth. And please," he smiled at the younger couple, extending his hands to them and clasping theirs warmly, "my friends call me Ducky...although I suppose that's an odd name for a wolf." he chuckled with them.

"Excellent" Beth beamed at him. "If you'll follow us then, we'll show you that sprawl that we call home."

They headed back towards the parking area together, still chatting companionably. Dr. Mallard reflected that he was very fortunate indeed to have alphas he could call his friends.

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NOTES: _Edesem_ : Hungarian endearment, translates to 'Beloved' or 'Dearest'. _Bükk_ : A range of mountains in Northern Hungary. Literally: 'The Beech Mountains'. Most of this range is contained in the Bükk National Park, where Janos was employed at the time he met Beth.


	4. Misdirections & Deflections

Title: Capital Silver  
Chapter IV: Misdirections & Deflections  
Rating: NC-17 (sex/violence to come)  
Pairing: Ducky/Abby (don't like, blah, blah, blah)

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Dr. Mallard was in a fine mood indeed, in spite of it being Monday morning. He perched on a stool beside the tea table and waited for his cup to steep. Beth had gifted him with a tin of ginger laced chamomile as he was heading home on Sunday and he was eager to try it.

He'd had a wonderful visit with his Alphas at their farm, getting more of their histories and opening up about his own. To his surprise, he'd found himself telling the two of them about the recent loss of his mother. Janos had been concerned that Ducky had no other family but the old doctor had reassured the weres that his friends more than made up for his lack of blood relations.

Although the ME did not elaborate on where he was employed, he did treat them to a few anecdotes of some of the more outrageous situations Gibbs and especially Abby had gotten him into. His enjoyment of the afternoon was marred only by a tinge of regret that at least the forensic tech couldn't have been there...Abby would like Beth and Janos very much...especially Beth. Ducky smiled as he sipped his tea. The two women would become close partners in crime if they could but meet...they were so similar in many ways.

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"Good morning Mr. Palmer, you're a touch late today."

Jimmy stood confused in the service entrance doorway...his boss was bent over his desk writing up notes from the previous week's cases and he'd been as quiet as possible as he attempted to slip into autopsy.

"How did you..."

"The service doors create a slight pressure change in the room when they're opened, my boy." He turned in his chair to smile at his assistant.

Palmer stared at the older man, his face still a study in puzzlement.

Ducky sighed. "That means a small gust of air hits my neck...I can feel the door open, even if I can't hear it. Only one other person, besides myself, would use the service entrance at this time of day...and only then if he were trying to avoid a reprimand for being past his time."

Jimmy's confusion faded and he swallowed at the implied rebuke. 

"Of course Dr. Mallard, I'm sorry...I'll be right back, I just need to put my lunch away..." the younger man quit the room to escape any further lectures.

Ducky returned to his paperwork, chuckling under his breath. He was quite proud of his fiction. He'd been saving that one up for some time now. He couldn't very well tell Jimmy that he had heard the door creak open and knew that it was Palmer by his scent (Lever soap and a hint of Aramis cologne, laced with the acrid tang of anxiety).

 _Mind you,_ he told himself, _best be careful how often you pull that parlor trick...there has been some talk that you're psychic you know..._ Ducky chuckled again and laid his reports aside. He headed out of autopsy to visit the Men's room, only to be stopped in mid-stride by a sharp metallic smell. _Blood! Coming from..._

The doctor sprinted down the hallway towards Abby's lab, pausing at the door to collect himself and think of a plausible reason he'd be visiting her. Tea!

"Abigail, would you care for a cup of... _good lord_!"

Ducky paused at the forensic lab doors, taking in the sight of his lotus sitting on the floor with a wad of red-stained paper towels clapped to her head. He moved to her side and knelt down to help apply pressure to the cut on her scalp.

"What on earth happened?"

"Bert!" the goth girl replied in disgust.

"What?"

Abby rolled her eyes up at the doctor, her expression mortified. "I put Bert on the counter to go check results on major mass spec and didn't realize that he'd fallen onto the floor. I was running back to put the charts up on my plasma screen and stepped on him." 

She lifted two fingers up in a swooshing motion.

"I landed on my butt and knocked my head on the side of the table. Instant red sea!"

"Let's get you to autopsy and I'll take a look. You might need a stitch or two."

Without thinking, the ME took most of Abby's weight as they stood up together, wrapping an arm around her waist and supporting her as they headed back to his domain. He helped her sit on one of the exam tables and removed the bloody towels from her head.

Abby smiled crookedly, still a bit dazed. "My knight in white lab coat. You been working out Duckman?"

_Damn and blast! Think old man!_

"Adrenaline surge more like, my dear." Dr. Mallard's gaze was stern as he examined the wound. "I do not expect to walk into forensics and find you hemorrhaging, Abby! It was quite a shock…"

The goth girl winced as her friend probed the cut on her head.

"Yeah, that makes sense….I try to do most of my bleeding off the clock."

"Not funny Abigail." Ducky admonished as he applied a topical anesthetic to her wound.

Abby exhaled in relief as the pain in her temple subsided. The ME relaxed too as the smell of fear faded from her.

"I'm going to put a couple of sutures in, just as a precaution." Ducky held up a finger to cut off his friend's protest. "Think of what Jethro would say if you contaminated evidence with your own blood…"

Abby winced at the thought. "Don't even go there Ducky." 

She held still while the doctor did his work, then retrieved some surgical supplies from his desk to place a dressing over her stitches.

"How bad does it look?" the goth girl scowled.

Dr. Mallard held up a hand mirror. "See for yourself, my dear."

Abby's delighted laugh rang out as she stared at the hot pink medical tape criss-crossing the gauze pad on her temple. "Great job, Duckman….I just got a new fashion accessory!"

"We aim to please…" 

The ME smiled back at his friend. Her mercurial changes of mood only served to enchant him all the more with her. He'd come to appreciate Abby's boisterous enthusiasm even more since his change. Dr. Mallard's well-spring of lycanthropic vigor made him empathetic towards her own energetic nature.

"Now," he cautioned, "A slight rest and then you should be fine to return to your duties."

"But…"

"Doctor's orders, Abigail." 

He steered her over to the side table where his tea stash and hot-plate resided. "Sit and have a cup with a lonely, old medical examiner who is between autopsies at the moment." Ducky emphasized his words with his best puppy-eyed look.

The goth girl laughed and wrapped him up in one of her full-body hugs. "I never could resist your charms, Duckman."

The Scotsman merely grinned in reply as he put water on to heat.

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NOTES: There will be much more to come in this story but it is on the back-burner for the foreseeable future as I exorcise my 'Person of Interest' plot-bunnies. Thanks for reading!


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